- Mayank Kumar found Mumbai auto drivers more helpful than those in Bengaluru despite climate challenges
- An auto driver helped Kumar reach his destination without fare disputes or negotiation in Mumbai
- Mumbai rickshaw fares were noted to be lower than ride-hailing app estimates by Kumar
Mayank Kumar, a talent acquisition manager who recently moved from Bengaluru to Mumbai, revealed that the city's weather, high rents, and traffic weren't what caught him off guard. Instead, his biggest culture shock was the behaviour of autorickshaw drivers. "Shifted from Bangalore to Mumbai recently," Kumar wrote in a detailed LinkedIn post. "And unexpectedly... the biggest culture shock wasn't traffic, weather, or rents. It was auto rickshaws."
According to Kumar, Mumbai offers a "completely different experience" from what he was used to. "I was staying at a hotel where reaching the main road itself was a mini trekking expedition uphill. Saw an auto dropping someone at the hotel and asked him if he could take me to Lokhandwala," he wrote.
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See the post here:
The autorickshaw driver initially refused, but offered to drop Kumar near the main road for free so he could easily hail another auto. The driver even stopped another passing rickshaw and instructed the driver to take Kumar to his destination.
To his shock, the second driver was just as accommodating, completely skipping any fare negotiations or route drama. "And the funniest part? The fare was LOWER than Ola/Uber estimates," Kumar noted.
"Every city has trade-offs, of course: Bangalore - best climate, toughest auto negotiations. Mumbai - humidity that tests your soul, but some of the most helpful people I have met," he wrote, concluding, "Still early days in Mumbai... but if auto rickshaws are the cultural ambassadors here, the city is doing a phenomenal job."
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Social Media Reactions
The post sparked a lively discussion online, with many users agreeing that Mumbai is incredibly welcoming. "I have been in Mumbai for the last 2 years and have worked in or travelled to many cities. I can tell you that Mumbai auto drivers are the most polite; on rare occasions, they say no, and they always ride by the meter. Most importantly, most of them accept digital payments," one user wrote, praising the local drivers.
Another user shared a contrasting experience from down south: "My experience with auto-rickshaws shows Chennai is the worst. I have used autos in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune through apps like Uber, Ola, and Rapido. In these cities, autos drop you off for the price displayed on the app. Only in Chennai do they ask for more, even when you book through the app."
A third user chimed in to praise the city's working class as a whole, stating, "Agree... Mumbai's entire blue-collar class is much nicer and more hardworking than those in other cities... in my experience."
